Water transport for automobiles and the like



Jan. 16, 1934. G. H. sTURGl-:LL

WATER TRANSPORT FOR AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec- 6, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet l )iff Inventor q By l/qllorney Jan. 16, 1934. G. H. STURGELL Filed Deo. 6, 19524 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NNN Inventor E vLIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 G. H. STURGELL jan. l, lQBT SPORT FOR JMJTOMOBILES AND TH WATERTRAN Filed De Z5 Inuenlor q B @www f1 iiorney Patented kJan. 16, 1934 Marani"A OFFICE WATER TRANSPORT FOR AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE Garland H. Sturgell,

Skagway, Territory of Alaska Application December 6,

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a water transport for automobiles and the like and has for its prime object to provide a transport of this nature onto which an automobile may be run from a landing or the like and means whereby the d power plant of the automobile may be used to operate the propelling mechanism of the transport.

A further important object of the invention resides in the provision of a water transport of this nature which is simple in its construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and operate, thoroughly efficient and reliable in use and operation and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more 2O fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a Water transport embodying the features of my invention showing an automobile thereon.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the transport.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectiontaken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the transport.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that the letter A denotes a central pontoon and letters B denote a pair of side pontoons. These pontoons are constructed of hollow sheet metal formation. rIhe pontoon A is of an elongated construction having a flat top 5 and slant- .ing sides 6 which converge downwardly toward each other. Both the front and rear ends of the pontoon A merge into points.

Each pontoon B is of elongated construction and of hollow sheet metal formation and formed Q0 with a at top 8 and slanting sides 9 which con- 'verge downwardly toward each other. In the flat top 8 there is formed a longitudinally eX- tending channel l0 having deepened portions ll and 12 and having end portions 15 clamping upwardly and outwardly from each other. A chock formation 16 is provided in the deepened portion l2. In the portion 11 there are provided a pair of rollers 17 on shafts 18 and 19. The shafts 18 other connections 23 between these pontoons and extend through the pontoons and are operativelyV 1932. Serial No. 645,991

at the front end are connections 24 and it will be noted that the nose or front end of the pontoon A is further advanced than the noses of the pontoons B. On the front portions of the shafts 21 are elongated screw propellers 25. Blade propellers 26 are provided at the rear end thereof. Suitable railings 27 rise from the outer side portions of the tops 8 of the pontoons B. It will be readily appreciated that when an automobile is run on tc this transport with the wheels in the channel 10 so that the front wheels rest in the recesses l2 and the chock structure 16 associated therewith and the rear wheels rest on the roller 17, the power plant of the automobile may be utilized to utilize the propulsion structure of the transport either forwardly or rearwardly.

It is thought that the construction, operation, utility and advantages of this invention will now be quite apparent to those skilled in this art without a more detailed description thereof.

The present embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail merely for the purposes of exemplication since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It will be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the inven tion as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a water transport of the class described, the combination of three pontoons disposed alongside of one another in spaced relation, a pair of longitudinally extending shafts one to each side of the center pontoon and to the inner sides of the other pontoons, means for mounting the shafts and holding the pontoons together, the side pontoons being provided in their upper surfaces with longitudinally extendingv channels in which are rollers, shafts journalled in the side pontoons on which said rollers are mounted, said second mentioned shafts being operatively connected with the first mentioned shafts, the channels also being provided with chock recesses, and propeller structure comprising elongated screw propellers on the front of the first mentioned shafts and bladepropellers on the rear ends thereof.

2. In a water transport of the class described, the combination of three pontoons disposed alongside of one another in spaced relation, a

pair of longitudinally extending shafts one to each side of the center pontoon and to the inner sides of the other pontoons, means for mounting the shafts and holding the pontoons together, the side pontoons being provided in their upper surfaces with longitudinally extending channels, rollers mounted in the channels, 

